Thunderstorm Wind in Bingham County, Idaho

Bingham county sustained by far the most damage from both the straight line wind and the tornadoes. Wind along I-15 near Blackfoot flipped 3 tractor trailers (1 injury) and forced a Greyhound bus (1 injury) into the median. Poles for electric lines were downed wholesale. Loss of power would idle 700 workers from potato processing plants and 350 workers from a flour mill for the remainder of the week. In Moreland and in Shelley, both the elementary and high schools suffered roof damage. A trailer home was destroyed and two more tipped over. Scores of homes suffered minor roof damage. Dozens of sheds and outbuildings were destroyed or damaged along with an airport hanger. Innumerable trees, some over 60 years old, were toppled. Damage to center pivot and wheel line irrigation systems will easily top $1 million dollars alone.

A line of severe thunderstorms swept across the Snake River Valley of Eastern Idaho on the afternoon of Feb 14. The widespread effect and destruction wrought by these storms were unprecedented in Idaho; so was the tornadic outbreak as the line spawned five tornados. The line took on a classic bow echo appearance as it charged east at 50 mph. A mesonet established throughout the valley recorded an awesome straight line wind of 60 to 95 mph. A new all time record for highest wind gust in Idaho was recorded at Minidoka at 96.3 mph! This surpassed the previous wind gust record of 90 mph that occured at Moscow Pullman Airport on 2/8/90.